Self-contained high-tension battery ignition-unit system.



F. R. HOYT. SELF CONTAINED HIGH TENSION BATTERY IGNITI APPLICATIDN FILED APR.25, I916. 1,2161% 0N UNIT SYSTEM.

Patented Feb. 13, 1917.

v F. n. HOYT. SELF CONTAINED HIGH TE NSION BATTERY IGNITION UNIT SYSTEM. APPLICATION FILED APR-25. I9I6. I LQW IQI Patented Feb. 13, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

- :3 52; 22y W I 2 iv L 5 zmg'f 204 f 215 Z 2115 5; 22.2 Z15 gz q I BY COMPANY, 01:" 631.5114

bpecificatioa of Letters .Fatcnt,

To all whom '52? may concern:

lie it known that l, FRANCIS Herr, a citizen of the United States, residing at East Orange, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Seliitloir tained High-llension Battery gaition-Unit Systems; and I do hereby declare the i lowing to be a full, clear, and exact descii, tion oi the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention consists in the novel features hereinafter described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings which show several forms in which I have contenr plated embodying my invention, selected by me for the purpose of illustrating the invention, and the said invention is fully disclosed in the following description and claims.

In the said drawings:

Figure 1 is a diag amniotic view illustrating a system embodying my invention, parts of the system being indicated by conventional representations of their physical embodiments insteadof by symbols, for greater clearness.

Figs. 2, 3 and lare similar views representing modified forms of my invention.

In the installation of battery ignition systems it has been customary in many instances to employ an induction coil usuallyniounted upon the dash board, where the mechanism is installed in a motor vehicle, but in practicallyall instances at a considerable distance from the battery and from the periodic interrupter, thus necessitating a complicated system of wiring with a considerable number of exterior wircr, which can and frequently do become broken, and connections therefor, which can and frequently do become loose, the breaking: or loosening; of any of which is likely to interfere with the operation of the internal combustion ne with which the ignition system is sled, and it is very difficult in practice locate troubles caused in this such cases. it is also customary a ro dcns connection with on coil, and this is ordinarily adjacent to the coil necessitating l4 nections to the-contact points of the poo interrupter across which the condenser interferes in a degree withe condenser.

One of the objects of my present in ention is to correlate and assemble in close proximity all of the parts or elements of the system except laittery and spar-l; plugs, so as to form a unit, the parts of which are olec ally coni'iected with respect to other at the factory by ve short wires, within the confines of the unit itself, which will not be liable to be broken or becomedisconnected. 1 also prefer to provide for grounding one end oi? the primary circuit so that it will be only necessary to connect a single wire from the bat tery to the ignition unit, andv to connect the distributor contacts to the spark plugs, thus reducingtlie exterior Wiring to a minimum. This arrangement of the elements in the unit also enables me to locate the condenser inserted so that the resistance in such wires tn the operation of in close proximity to the contact points of the faeriodic interrupter and to the induction coil.

1 also'prefer in assembling the various parts into a single unit as hereinafter described to connect all of the rotary parts of the several elements for joint rotation, and to hold them in fixed relation with respect to each other, and I also prefer to connect the non-rotary parts of the several elements of the unit so as to hold them in substantially fixed relation with respect to each other while permitting a slight movement of said connected parts or of the necessary ele-- ments thereof, in a rotary direction with respect to the axis of rotation of the rotary parts to permit of the advancing and retarding of the spark.

I also prefer to employ in the unit a coinniutator for automatically reversing the direction of the current in the primary whd ing, for the purpose of preventi a transfer a ."o of metal. or contact point to the other oi' the periodic interrupter for preserving and lengthening life of the said contact points and maintaining the apparatus at all times in operative condition.

the accompanying drawin '1 several. embodiments of in ll here i and to a high tension hattery ignition system provided With means for changing the direetion of the primary current across the Contact points of the periodic interrupter at intervals during each revolution of the rotary parts.

As indicated in these figures, the ignition unit comprises a distributor for directing the secondary current to one or other of the spark plugs of the engine, a periodic interrupter, ancia commutator, each having nonrotatable as well as co-acting rotatable parts, and being associated with an induction coil, and a condense", all the rotatable parts being connected. for joint rotation, the non-rotatable pa its being connected and held in substantially fixed relation with each other, but being capable of rotary movement to effect the advance and retard. of the spark, the coil and condense being associated in. certain of the forms herein shown with the said rotatable parts, and in other terms being associat'al with the non-- rotatable parts according to the manner in which the various elements of the unit are grouped and associated.

In Fig. 1 of the acmnipanying drawings, for example, I have shown diagran'nnatically an ignition system in which the various parts hereinbcforc referred to are associated in the form of a unit in which the induction coil as Well as the condenser are associated with and adapted to rotate with the rotatable parts of the periodic interrupter, connnutator and distributor. in this figure the periodic interrupter is shown as comprising a non-rotary cam ring l, and a rotary part, 2, carrying the lined contact, 3, the movable contact, 4, the latter being mounted on a pivoted bell crank lever, and provided with the usual fiber heel, ii, [01' engaging the actuating portions oi tire cam to separate the contacts which are otherwise held together by the spring, 3.

The commutator connn'ises stationary contact plates 53' and 3 and the rotary parts thereof are the con'nnutator brushes l0 and 11, which, in this instance, are mounted on the rotary part, vv'hichalso carries the rotary portion of the periodic interrupter.

The distributor con'ipriscs stationary contacts, 12-1212'i2, and the rotary portion, which, in this instance, is a block or plate 13, adapted to rotate in a path contiguous tothe contacts, 12, so as to permit *the spark to jump from said plate to the several contacts ol the distributor.

14 represents the core of the induction coil which may, however, be of any preferred construction'ainl is provided with a primary winding; indicated at 15, and a secondary winding indicated l6. 1? rep resents the condenser which is, in this in stance, interposed between the coil and the.

periodic interriuner. The arrows in the figure indicate which parts are and also the direction of rota" will be understood that the of the periodic interrupter, tater, and the distributor, are Elected together and to the i and commutator as indicate lines, Z, so that they all r son and preferably on a coin J11 are held normally in fixed relatie other. The non-rotary parts of th interrupter, thecemmutator and the o1 uter are also held in fixed each other, as indicated by the clones 1 K, but are preferably so arranged in tice that they may be oscillateclito a extent with respect to the axis of the rotary parts as by means o: lever indicated at Y in Fig. pose of advancing or retard 18 represents the battery-t and 191919-19 represent plugs The circuit connections lows: The battery, 18, is clicated by the Wire, 20. A. 3 leads from the battery to the co. I of the commutator. The course mary circuit, When the parts are sitienshown in Fig. 1, will from the battery ever Wire, 2i, plate, 8, thence to commutator hr thence to the movable contact, 4:, Whiei electrically connected there 1 the fixed contact, 3, thence tater brush, 3.0, which is elee nectecl therewith, thence to CO1. ot the commutator, thence l y cated at 22, on a portion of tie pla centric with the axis of the rotar a metallic part, as the screw, 23

the rotary part, 2, thence by Wi primary coil, 15, thence to ground ing therefrom to battery.

The condenser is connected 252l3, between the bruslies, 10 The secondary current generated in ondary coil, 16 will pass to the as block or plate, 13, thence to one or the distributer points, 12, and Wires, 272727-2l to the to the spark plugs, 19. It Will be understood t a "i as the brushes 10-11 pass from one con act plate to the other the path of the primary current between the fixed and stationary contacts of the periodic interrupter will he reversed, that is to say, after each half revolution of the rotary parts, or after the pro duction of two sparks, Where, as in the case illustrated, the distributer is connected with tour spark plugs for operating a four cylinder engine.

As will be seen all the Wiring between thescvcral parts of the unit interior Wiring which can be installer i the factory where the manna q and 'as :,..l3e

plugs, thus reducing to a minimum the exterior connections, it being understood that the ground connection from the primary coil here illustrated by the wire, 28, will ordinarily be made within the apparatus to the metallic portions thereof, and thence to the engine body.

In Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawings, I have shown a modification of my unit systern in which the contacts ofthe periodic interrupter and the brushes of the commutator are stationary and the operating cam for the interrupter, and the contacts of the commutator rotate, and in this figure I have also illustrated a slightly different grouping and arrangement of the different parts. Thus in this figure 101 represents the rotating cam of the periodic interrupter, 103 the fixed contact, 104: the movable contact carried by the lever, 105 having fiber heel 106 for engaging the cam, the said lever and contacts being stationary and Pl'OVlill-bd respectively with the commutator brushes, 110'-111, which cooperate with the contact plates, 108 109 of the commutator, which, in this instance, are arranged to rotate with the other rotary parts.

In the distributor the distributor points 'l12l121l2112 are stationary and the plate or block, 1l3 rotates with the other rotary parts as in Fig 1. The core. li t, also rotates with the primary coil, 115, and the secondary coii, 11.6, ant the condenser, 117, rotates with core. The battery, 118, is connected by the wire, 120, to ground and by the iead wire, 121, to a brush, 122, engaging at all times the plate, 108, of the commutator, the other plate, 109, being connected by wire, 12a, with the primary coil, 115, and thence to ground, as shown by wire, 128. The condenser is inserted between the contact plates of the commutator by w' ires, 125, and The points, 112, of the distributor are connectdd by wires, 127, of the respective sparr plug, 1.19. The stationary parts of the unit are connected. in-

indicated by the dotted.v

fixed relation lines X and are arranged to be oscillated by the timing lever, 3., also indicated in dotted lines to advance and retard the spark.

The arrows in ti'iis ure indicate the re; *S'iL-lQIfl oft rotation tary parts and the r thereof, and 130 K151835125 sharing aha-it indicated to which the rotary parts are connected in any desired way, as indicated by dotted lines, Z and by which they-are rotated. The secondary winding, in this figure, is shown as connected to the grounded end of the primary winding instead of to the opposite end, as in Fig. l, but his is immaterial and either arrangenr' it can be employed.

In Fig. 8, I have shown another slightly modified arrangement of my ignition unit in which the condenser is associated with the stationary parts of the unit instead of with the rotary parts, as in Figs. 1 and 2, the other elements of the unit being arranged substantially in the same manner as indicated in Fig. In Fig. 3, 201 represents the cam of the periodic interrupter,

which is rotary and is indicated as located upon a. driving shaft, 230.

The fixed and movable c 6ntacts, 203i, of the lnterrupter are associated with the non-rotary parts, the latterbeing carried by the lever, 205, having the fiber heel, 206, for engaging the cam. The commutator plates, 2089, in this arrangement are adapted to rotate with the other rotary parts and cooperate with nonrotary brushes, 210-211,

electrically connected with the fixed and mo *able contacts respectively.

The distributor, which is of the jump spark type. as shown in the preceding ures comprises the rnxnmotary distributing points, 2l2, the rotary part of the distributer being the block or plate, 213, which is arranged to rotate with the other rotary parts "of the unit. The induction coil. in this arra ement, is shown as arranged to rotate w the other rotaryparts of the unit and con'iprises the core, 2A, the primary winding,

in Fig. 3 the condenser indicated at 217 associated with the non-rotary parts, as before stated, and is electrically connected with the brushes, 210-2l1, by wires, 22Z226, as shown. it will be understood that the rotary parts are connected in any desired way indicated by dotted lines, 2 to the shaft 280 for joint rotation, and the non-rotary parts are also connected in desired a by suitable casing or frame v ed by the dotted wided with means n sii iitiy aboutthe axis for oscillating of the rotary parts to advance and retard by tuning lever aiso indithe in unit wili be 215, and the secondary wind i Elli iected byv Wire 224-, with the which is grounded as in- .iagrain by wire, 228. The ling is connected to the roor block, ihe 212, are connected by he several spark plugs, 219,

i the usual anner, and the spark plugs grounded through the englne or otherw well known way.

of the drawing, 1 have show ilication of my system in which crises substantially the same ged in a slightly different is figure, l have shown the c with the non-rotary members it as well as the condenser, and the inter isjprovided with a brush for fact with nona-otary distributor 11 this figure, 301, represents the 1 the periocic interrupter, which is arin ed rotate, and 303-30-l are the noncontacts, in this instance, carried by sprinv C5 actuated pivoted arms, 305, each. having a hber heel, 306, to engage the cam and cause the separation of the interrupter contacts.

The distributer comprises, in this instance, rotary distributor plates, 808309, the plate, 308, having a portion, 308, extending" through a central recess in the plate, 309, but insulated therefrom, and having its face flush with the face of the plate, 309.

The non-rotary portions of the connnutator oniliirise the brushes, 310 and 311, which, in this instance, are connected with the interrupter arms, 305, at their points of pivoting, for example, and engage the faces of the portion, 308 of the plate, 308, and the plate, 309. The distributor comprises the non-rotary segments, 312, and the rotary brush, 313. The induction coil, in this instance, is associated with the non-rotary parts and comprises the core, 314, the primary coil, 315, and the secondary coil, 316. The rotary parts may be conveniently at tached to a common shaft as 330, as indicated in the diagram as indicated by dotted lines, Z and the non-rotary parts may be held in fixed relation by a suitable casing frame or otherwise indicated diagrammatically by the dotted line X, and provided with means for oscillating them about the axis of the rotary parts for timing purposes as by a timing lever indicated at Y in dotted lines.

317 represents the condenser, which is es- .cillated with the non-rotary parts, and is connected to the brushes, 310-311 as by wi es, $25-$28. The wiring arrangement, in this form of my invention, is as follows: Bill represents the battery, which is ground- K by wire, 820, and connected by the e lad wire, 321, wi h the brush,

at all times in contact with one of the plates oi the commutator, in this instance, plate, 809, a similar brush, f, being at all. times in. contact with the plate, 308, of the commutator, and connected, as by Wire, 32a, to the primary winding, 815, of the nonrotatable .core, which is grounded in the usual manner, as indicated by the wire, 328,

The secondary winding is connected to the distributor brush, 313, the segments, 312, being connected by wires, 327, in the usual manner with the spark plugs, 319, which are grounded in well known way.

It will be noted that in all the forms herein shown the various elements of my'improved unit are brought into such close association that they may be conveniently assembled and electrically connected by the manufacturer, and adjusted so as to perform their proper functions, leaving it only necessary for the user to connect thereto the single lead wire from the battery and the distributing vires leading from the distributor to the several igniters of the internal combustion engine, thus accomplishing the new results hereinbei'ore particularly pointed out.

As indicated in the several figures, these elements can be combined in various ways to produce these results and the rotary parts may be coineniently arranged in conjunction with common driving shaft as indicated in Figs. 2, 3 and 5, for example, while the non-rotary parts can. be conveniently held in fixed relation with each. otheiand in oscillating relation with the axis of the shaft by a suitable casing or i'rame. I do not, however, limit myself to the structural features by which the several parts are held in proper relative and operative relation.

One example of such structural. features is shown, described and claimed, in my coxnsource of electrical energy, ZLSGlf-COHtzLlIIBd unit comprising a periodic interrupter, a commutator and distributer, each having rotatable and non-rotatable parts, an induction coil and condenser, said parts being arranged in close relation and electrically connected, the rotatable parts of the unit being associated in fixed relation for joint rotation, and the non-rotatable parts of the unit being associated in fixed relation with each other.

2. l a high tension battery ignition system, the combination with a battery constituting the sole source of electrical energy in. the system of inte nal combustion engines a se" unit comprising a periodic in-nrnpter, commutator and a increase distribnter, each having rotatable and nonrotatable parts, said rotatable parts constituting one group of elements and'being associated in fixed relation for joint rotatic-n, said non-rotatable parts constituting another group and being associated in fixed relation with each other, an induction coil associated in fixed relation With the elements of one of said groups, and a condenser associated in fixed-relation with one of said groups. I

3. in a high tension battery ignition system, the combination with a battery constituting the sole source of electrical energy in the system of a self-contained unit comprising aperiodic interrupter, a. commutato-r and a distributor, each having 'rotatable and non-rotatable parts, an induction coil. and condenser, said parts being arranged in close relation and electrically connected, the rotatable parts of the unit being associated in fixed relation for joint rotation, and the non-rotatable partsof the unit being associated in fixed relation with each other, said induction coil beiiw;asso'ciated with rotating With the rotary parts.

-i. In a high tension battery ignition sysem, the combination with a battery constiwiting the sole source of electrical energy :1 the system or a self-contained unit com- .rising a periodic interrupter, a con1n1utater and a distributor, each having rotatable and non-rotatable parts, an induction coil and condenser, said parts being arranged. in close relation and electrically connected, the rotatable parts of. the unit being associated in fixed relation for joint rotation, and the non-rotatable parts of the unit being associated in fixed relation with each other, the said induction coil and the condenser being associated in fixed relation with said rotary parts and rotating therewith.

In a high-tension battery ignition sys tem, a self-contained unit comprising a periodic interrupter, a connnutator and a distributor, each having rotatable and nonrotatable parts, an induction coil and consaid parts being arranged in close and electrically connected, the e parts or" the unit being associated d relation for joint rotation, and the able parts of the unit being associated in fixed relation with each other, the non-rotatable part of the periodic interrupter being capable of oscillation about the axis or the rotary parts to advance and retard the spark. a

6. In a high tension battery ignition systerm, a self-contained unit comprising a periodic interrupter, a commutator and a distributor, each having rotatable and nonrotatable parts, an induction coil and condenser, said parts being arranged inv close relation and electrically connected, the rocontained unit comprising a periodic interrupter having a rotatable part carrying the separable contacts'and a non-rotatable cain, a commutator comprising non-rotatable contact plates and rotatable brushes, a distributor comprising non-rotatable distributing points, and a rotatable part co-acting therewith, all of said rotatable parts being associated in fixed relation, and all of said non-rotatable parts being associated in fixed relation, an induction coil associated and rotating with said rotatable parts, and a condenser associated With and rotating With said rotatable parts.

8. In a high tension battery ignition system for internal combustion engines, a selfcontained unit comprising a periodic interrupter having a rotatable part carrying the separable contacts and a non-rotatable'cam, a commutator comprising non-rotatable contact plates and rotatable'brushes, a distributor comprising non-rotatable distributing points, and a rotatable part co-acting therewith, all of said rotatable parts being associated in fixed relation, and all of said non-rotatable parts being associated in fixed relation, an induction coil associated and rotating with said rotatable parts, and a condenser associated with and rotating with said rotatable parts, said non-rotatable parts being capable of oscillating jointly about the axis of the rotatable parts to advance and retard the spark.

In testimony whereoi I affix my signature.

FRANCIS R. HOYT. 

